Reminds me of the moose that was killed in Natick, MA some years ago. The moose had wandered into a residential neighborhood and was casually munching on some shrubbery. A crowd gathered to ooh and aah. Photos were taken and children gathered. The police arrived and shot the moose with what most in the crowd thought was a tranquilizer gun.
There was a smattering of applause as the moose sunk clumsily to its knees. Tranqulized - the crowd thought...
But the moose had been SHOT DEAD. The cops thought that the moose presented a hazard in such a crowded environment.
Citizens of Natick were outraged. The story made national and world news. The talk-shows were alive as people weighed in on the horror that had taken place in suburbia.
But the best was yet to come. It came out that the dead moose carcass had been un-ceremoniously tossed in the town dump. The grieving began anew...
Your story reminds me of what the city manager in Eureka, Ca ditetrars ago. They had an old black bear at the city zoo. I don’t remember all the details but due to budget cuts they decided to get rid of the bear. So the city manager just sent a couple of guys over to the zoo and they shot the bear. Much outrage and hilarity ensued. Manager ended up being fired. Apparently black bears are precious around here. Who knew?